Volusia council to discuss expanding beach driving

The possibility of expanding beach driving in Volusia County will be on the table for discussion soon.

The Volusia County Council is expected to talk at Tuesday's meeting about converting a stretch of beach into a drivable section. The section is from International Speedway Boulevard to Auditorium Boulevard in Daytona Beach, according to the County Council agenda.

Getting the beach opened up to driving wouldn't be as simple as a council vote, though. According to the county, it would also require action from the state of Florida.

"At a minimum, the action would require enactment of a special law allowing the Council to restore beach driving to that section of the beach," according to the county. "In addition to seeking a change to state law, the decision to convert a non-driving section of the beach to a driving section of the beach involves other legal issues, such as any needed amendment to the federal permit, customary use, and any outstanding contractual commitments."

The County Council voted in 1996 to take away beach driving when a certain amount of parking became available. Beach driving ended in this stretch in March 2000 when 1,500 parking spaces opened at the Ocean Center.

"When we closed that down, it just killed the beachside businesses there because the people stopped coming. That was a very popular beach with locals and also tourists," said Council Chairman Jeff Brower, who is proposing the reopening of the beach.

The area begins just south of the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort and includes the boardwalk and pier.

Tom Caffrey, co-owner of the World's Most Famous Brewery on Main Street, is one of those leading the charge to get beach driving restored there. He said he and others who are part of the merchant's association for the Main Street area asked Brower to put it on the agenda.

Caffrey said he grew up in the area and saw a drastic decline in business activity after beach driving closed.

"The beachside is unrecognizable from what it used to be," he said.

Caffrey said he wants to see the area become vibrant again and plans to speak to the council on Tuesday.

"We want everybody to grow. We want everybody to be successful," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Beach driving in Volusia County could expand